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Brittney Levinson

Industry urged to take action against workplace harassment

MCB's Karen Bolinger said the events industry represents the "perfect storm" when it comes to sexual harassment.

Not In My Workplace (NIMW) will host its inaugural summit this month, bringing senior business leaders together to address the issues of workplace harassment and abuse across all industries.

Sexual harassment cases continue to increase in Australia, with the fourth National Inquiry on Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces finding one in three Australian workers have been sexually harassed at work over the last five years.

With the respect to the business events industry, a survey of 100 event professionals conducted by PCMA found 80 per cent had experienced some form of on-the-job sexual harassment, 75 per cent of which didn’t report the problem.

With the NIMW summit set to take place in Melbourne on 21 February 2019, the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) is calling on leaders of the business events industry to take critical action to stamp out sexual harassment in the workplace.

MCB CEO Karen Bolinger said the meetings and events industry represents the “perfect storm” when it comes to sexual harassment.

“In our industry, we are in a vulnerable position with unusual hours, alcohol and an environment that is not so structured,” she said.

“The Summit will provide a valuable opportunity to address how we answer the question ‘What can I do?’ and critically, the actions we can take to stamp out sexual harassment in the workplace.

“As leaders, we have a duty of care to ensure our employees are safe, and the culture we foster will not tolerate this behaviour.”

Drawing together an alliance of senior executives and influential government, the NIMW Summit aims to equip leaders with practical tools to ensure safer workplaces for everyone and drive real outcomes.

The event will feature a program of keynote addresses, panel discussions and professional development workshops.

NIMW Summit will be held on 21 February 2019 at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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